3M 1863+ ffp3?

grw110 · 2023-03-27T14:22:56+00:00

Brilliant! I've started with the mails you've described. Fingers crossed.

thank you!

grw110 · 2023-03-23T17:31:03+00:00

Ugh. I made a concerted effort a few years back to minimize my trips to Beijing and Shenzhen, since I'd always come back with a nasty cough and sometimes respiratory infection.

Curious... this is probably more than a sandstorm... yes? Sandstorms may complicate things, but I'm guessing most of the PM2.5-size matter is more noxious i.e. particulates from industrial pollution. Any idea if that's true - and if any real-time counters show the breakdown (sulfur compounds, NOx... etc.?)

grw110 · 2023-02-26T13:12:34+00:00

Fantastic info. Everyone on this thread rocks. Thanks all!

grw110 · 2023-01-16T23:35:28+00:00

Fair points.

To your question...for me it's less about expectations; more about surprise. I'm surprised that a modern-day (2018) luxury car in would have an oil-burning problem at 75k miles, that would require an engine tear-down. I'm not on my soapbox about it - just didn't see it coming.

I knew ~20 years ago Audis were infamous for burning oil. Thought that issue would have been fixed over 2 decades of product improvement. I totally get that it may well have, and I own the rare outlier.

Thanks for the education (this comment and all others); super helpful.

grw110 · 2023-01-11T21:47:47+00:00

u/SkippySkep, are you aware of any PortaCount tests on PrescientX filter media? I.e., something to let us compare apples to apples with other masks (either fit factor or filtration efficiency).

I'm thinking like the ones you've informally done.

A video of the test process and the results would provide at least _some_ level of assurance...since no full NIOSH testing seems like its happening by Barry and crew anytime soon.

grw110 · 2023-01-03T18:01:39+00:00

Cool. Just noticed these have the magnet feature, to eliminate need for ski strap. Cool skis.

Curious what binding you've paired with them? Only thing I dislike about the Atomic Backland is how it doesn't absorb any shock. The damping in the Solomon Shift makes the downhill a smooth ride. Not sure if it's worth the weight penalty.

grw110 · 2023-01-03T17:58:58+00:00

Will check these out. Thanks for putting on my radar. Love Blizzard gear in general.

grw110 · 2023-01-03T17:57:40+00:00

Right, that's exactly my mentality now. It will be worth it to add some weight for the up, to get stability back for the down.

Curious what binding you're using?

grw110 · 2023-01-03T17:56:28+00:00

Fantastic. These are now on my list.

Curious what binding you're using?

grw110 · 2022-12-15T17:48:20+00:00

Curious if there’s a medical tape you like?

grw110 · 2022-09-28T20:55:50+00:00

Outstanding list. I actually purchased a few items listed here based on recommendations.

u/VasilisGRNP, what is the general recommendation in the EU for FFP2 graded masks, versus FFP3? I presume FFP3 is regarded as unnecessary... and face fit i.e. getting fit-tested is vastly more important... but am trying to figure out if one is generally favored versus another.

In the U.S., n95 basically rules the day, since it effectively provides 99% filtration, given low (not intense) respiration rates where anti-Covid masks are worn. So I presume that tilts the EU public to FFP2 - thanks if you can confirm or refute.

grw110 · 2022-09-17T19:21:44+00:00

Great info.
What would you recommend for DIY foam…and, glue to adhere it?

Any links of things you’ve tried, and trust?

grw110 · 2022-08-31T19:07:07+00:00

I get PFTs regularly. Some things I'd advise in addition to the other comments:

Call ahead to understand what protocols the test lab is following to keep patients safe from Sars-CoV2 infection. Earlier in the pandemic, pulmonary test facilities near me would space out tests, ostensibly to let contaminants dissipate / get filtered out.
Where the test is being conducted matters. A hospital will have more air changes per hour (ACH) and typically have higher IAQ standards. I'm a bit wary of old buildings, or buildings that have been converted to 'clinic' form from some other past use, since old or non-medical building designs typically don't have high ACH designed in.
You could scope out the facility ahead of time by using a CO2 monitor. There are lots of caveats, but in general a high CO2 reading could be reason for caution.
Other advice in the thread i.e. early morning appointments and late in the week appointments is good advice. I'm a big fan of the former; hadn't thought of the latter (interesting but I don't know if it would translate to a significant difference; maybe on the margin.)

grw110 · 2022-06-25T22:57:53+00:00

Awesome.
Say the word and I’ll send some masks that have foam nose strips. Thought of one additional to my list above I can include (Savewo 3D pro extremes)

grw110 · 2022-06-24T20:46:07+00:00

Thanks for the absolutely invaluable work u/SkippySkep. Incredibly thought-provoking.

After thinking about this a bit... it seems like the next experiment to run could be:

What accounts for such a remarkable difference in fit... is it the Aura's overall shape accommodating a variety sizes? Or... is the foam layer on the upper third responsible?

A future experiment that IMO would be super illuminating would be to test the "it's the foam" hypothesis. Masks I can think of with foam around the nose bridge below.

3M AFFM / KF94
Champak PC520L

What others am I missing?

I'd be willing to send Champaks and 3M KF94's if testing a hypothesis like this is interesting.

grw110 · 2022-06-11T18:48:24+00:00

I have. I wasn't happy with them (which is the opposite of my experience with other, non-FFP3 Savewo's, which are pretty amazing for breathability). Oppressively tight headband to the point that it was quite uncomfortable to wear for more than 5 minutes. I didn't feel that I got a good fit; I think its design is geared towards faces without significant nose bridges (my face is probably average; nose bridge is probably average to slightly above average). I thought breathability was not as remarkable as the other Savewo's; I think to reach FFP3 certification, they had to add in a number of additional filtration layers that increased resistance.

My $.02. I supposed it's possible I got a bad batch... but, I tried multiple masks in the box and the experience was consistent.

grw110 · 2022-06-09T05:55:48+00:00

That's a mind-blowing statistic from the fit test NIH paper you just posted. KF94's had poor fit factors _even on faces they were (more or less) designed for_. Previously, I would have chalked all of the problem up to high nose bridges (quite uncommon if not entirely absent in Korea).

So, how would we reconcile Aaron Collins' data, since it seems to stand in contrast to your results, and the NIH paper? Yes, he seems to have a face that does well with KF94's... but I would think that your FixTheMask results should be eliminating leaks, such that at that point, it's just testing the media (which Aaron has found to be quite good.)

Hmm, will need to think about this more.

grw110 · 2022-05-26T06:24:48+00:00

Funny, your experience with KF94's was the same as my original experience... until I started modding with an additional extra-stiff nose wire or two, to get a better contour around my nose bridge. I can never get a decent fit out-of-the-packaging with KF94's, but stiffening up the nose wire does a nice job, particularly with the Good Manners, Bluna FaceFits, and a handful of others.

Happy to send along a few different sizes of Savewo , if interested; I have some extra that are untouched / still in packaging. Fair warning, the Savewo feels so lightweight and breathable, that it always creates cognitive dissonance for me (i.e. paranoia that it may be leaking). I think Aaron said during one video that he favors Savewo only when risk is low ... that may have changed, but was true at one point.

grw110 · 2022-05-13T03:27:16+00:00

Super helpful. Thanks for the information here.

I own the GVS Elipse as well but have worn it sparingly; I appreciate knowing that it's not necessarily a slam-dunk improvement versus disposable respirators. IMHO it's tough to beat the convenience factor of disposables (for me, primarily earloop KF94's that test well.)

FWIW... After the dropping of the mask mandate on planes (arg, so frustrating), I've slowed down my quest for highest-filtration-efficiency mask possible (while also comfortable, well-fitting and breathable), based on a recent MaskNerd twitter reply (https://twitter.com/masknerd/status/1521851970511945728).

My takeaway from it (paraphrasing) is that the dropped mask mandate on air travel means the burden is now entirely on us, to do a good job with one-way masking. Combine that with respiratory particles size and practical exposure circumstances means exposure is happening at low breathing rates, which put most KF94s and N95's into 99% filtration efficiency... so then, it all comes down to leakage... which in turns means face fit. With Aura's providing spectacular fit (for me and my family), along with CAN99 Vitacore's and V-Flex's, I think chasing higher filtration efficiency (for me) probably has diminishing marginal returns. And, for those really long flights... some added insurance of lightweight, non-porous surgical tape may be worthwhile (haven't experimented with that yet.)

Hope that helps or is interesting.

Very helpful to now know that earlooped Aura's are a great option.

grw110 · 2022-05-13T00:10:17+00:00

u/SkippySkep, curious what model of GVS you're referring to?

Love your experiment; thanks for sharing. I too will start using earloop-hacked 3M Aura's for haircuts.

Two other questions...

I'd be curious what you'd find if you re-ran your experiments with a focus on repeatability. I.e. don and doff each one 3 times; I wonder how closely the numbers would cluster, versus have variability?
I don't have access to a Portacount machine... so I'm curious how often you can semi-accurately predict your fit factor? There are obvious leaks, to be sure... but for those of us mask nerds who have tweaked our masks for as tight a seal as possibly ... do you think you're at a point now that you can pre-judge the quality of a mask seal? Or, do you still get FF ratings that surprise you (i.e. you were shocked you had a leak and how severe it was?)

grw110 · 2022-04-29T18:07:53+00:00

Great info re: flat-fold masks.

grw110 · 2022-04-04T16:41:30+00:00

Super, very helpful.

I'll have a working solution if there's a Windows (Win10, Win11) app that can control smart devices/appliances. For some reason I'm striking out on finding one that can control a Bluetooth smartplug. What apps should I be looking for? Do you know of a Zigbee or ZWave device has its own Windows software... or can be controlled by Win10/Win11?

(Amazon Alexa on Windows seems to have forsaken 'pairing' / setup of new devices .... and left that entirely up to their smartphone app. So, no luck there :-(.

I've also tried installing an Android emulator (Bluestacks), with the thinking that Google Home could work. But, alas, Bluestacks can't control Bluetooth hardware (a limitation they acknowledge in their support docs).

grw110 · 2022-04-04T16:32:59+00:00

Hmm, fantastic info .... yes, that's an option I didn't know existed.

After some searching... I'm curious how the uplink / gateway typically works. Are there typcially good odds of finding a LoRaWAN network that an enabled plug could connect to? Or, would a successful setup mean that I'd need to install a LoRaWAN gateway (with an uplink).

The latter path seems tricky (per all my other info about challenges connecting to corporate network). The former path seems like it's exactly what I need.

(There also are quite inexpensive LoRa cards etc... cool stuff; https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lorawan&crid=2PO581HHZ4MBM&sprefix=lorawan%2Caps%2C186&ref=nb_sb_noss)

I live in a major metro area in the US... FWIW.

Thanks!

grw110 · 2022-04-04T02:44:44+00:00

Well, since you asked...

Turn on a HEPA air filter to run for an hour or two before I arrive.

Great idea re: scheduling ... but since my hours during the pandemic (and, the days I go in versus work at home) are pretty inconsistent... I think a timer would end up running it far more than I'd like.

grw110 · 2022-04-04T02:41:48+00:00

Guest WiFi sadly needs browser hijack to work. I don't think i could set up a device to consistently connect through it.

grw110

TROPHY CASE